Clara adjusted her helmet once, before finally following the others out of the sewer. There was a tense silence in the air as the five of them-- Thomas, Newt, Leo, Gally, and herself-- began to trek down the alley, towards the WICKED building.

Where Gally had scrounged the WICKED guard uniforms from, Clara didn't know, but she was glad that they covered her entire face. WICKED knew what they looked like, and if they wanted any chance of getting in and out, they needed to be in disguise. 

They walked down the street, holding the stolen guns at their waists. People scrambled out of their way, rushing back to their homes in time for curfew. 

Clara shifted slightly. Underneath her armour, she had on a tiny first aid kit-- just a few bandages, anti-septic wipes, the remaining tranquillizer from Winston repackaged into an autoinjector and painkillers. It would have to do until they could escape the city. Hopefully, neither Tris nor Minho were in bad shape, and even if they were, Clara was sure that WICKED had to have some sort of medical facility in there. 

The guards at the door nodded at them, but other than that, nobody looked twice. Clara frowned. It all seemed a little too easy. 

But then again, who would've expected them to make it this far? 

Together, they shuffled inwards, marching as a group. The lobby was quiet. Most of the scientists had left already, returning home for the night. Everything was a sterile white, and the floors were shiny enough that Clara was sure she would slip. In front of them, someone in a white lab coat was walking towards what had to be an elevator. 

Clara squinted. With only one working eye, the mesh of the face mask made it even harder to see, but she could swear that it was Teresa. The long black hair hanging down her back seemed so familiar. Rage flickered inside of her. The girl was the reason that they were here. She had sold them out to WICKED and was the reason that Minho had been captured trying to save Clara and the reason that Tris was gone. 

Clara clenched her jaw and followed the others. Thomas was in the front, leading their small squadron, and Clara noticed him picking up the pace; he was going to try and get them in the elevator with Teresa.

Clara followed them quickly. Teresa was no doubt aware of where Tris and Minho were kept, and she would be the key to getting them. No doubt, there would also be some of WICKED's temporary cures in here too. She could use that and give it to anyone who needed it. Give them to herself-- if needed. She knew that Tris had to be immune. It couldn't be Tris. 

They shoved into the elevator, quickly joining Teresa, who scanned them all but didn't seem to think much of it. It wasn't until the doors closed that Thomas finally acted. In a fluid motion, he slid his gun from the holster and jammed it into Teresa's lower back.

"Do not move," He hissed.

Clara's eyebrows rose in shock. She knew Thomas had some anger-- had seen it while planning the rescue from the train-- but she had never heard such pure malice out of him. She and Newt exchanged a glance. 

She frowned, scanning the boy once. Despite the mask he was wearing, there was something off with him. She had been so focused on the rescue that she hadn't considered how exhausted they all might get. Maybe she should've suggested to Thomas that they sleep. 

"Thomas?" Teresa whispered.

Thomas only dug his gun in harder. "You are going to take us to Minho and Tris. I don't give a fuck what you've done, they are coming with us,"

There was a brief moment of tense silence, before Teresa nodded, pressing one of the buttons on the door. It beeped, and the elevator began to move upwards. 

A cheery upbeat music started playing as they moved. Clara pressed her lips together. This wasn't a moment to laugh, but the absurdity of it all was too much to handle. How had she come from the maze six months ago to breaking into the headquarters of one of the largest companies in the remaining world? 

The elevator came to a shuddering halt and Clara glanced over at the others. This wasn't the right floor, and none of them had pressed a button. 

The doors slid open, and Jansen, carrying his trusty clipboard, stepped into the elevator. Clara instantly shuffled aside, blocking his view of Thomas holding the gun to Teresa's back. He was the last person they needed in this hostage situation.

The doors shuddered closed and it began to move again. Clara clenched her jaw as the music started up again. Jansen and Teresa exchanged a friendly glance and nodded. Clara repressed the urge to fire her gun at Jansen. Her pact to never harm anyone without cause was wearing thin as she stared at the back of the ratman.

Leo's fingers brushed her arm. A brief motion, quiet, but enough to remind her why they were there. It was bigger than this, and killing Jansen right now would only make everything worse.

Finally, the elevator landed on the floor, and the doors slid open with a cheerful ping. They exited, keeping close to Teresa. Still, even as they walked away along the shiny floors, their shoes echoing, Clara couldn't shake the feeling that he was watching them with an unnerving curiosity. 

Teresa clicked her way down the hallway and they followed closely. They were about to start up a staircase when Gally spoke.

"Are there any other immunes here?" He demanded. "People who haven't been sent into the maze yet?" 

There was a brief pause, and Clara watched Teresa as she seemed to consider what to tell them. 

Clara spoke. "The virus is in the city. I'm sure you know that the city will fall soon, and the immunes will be the only ones left. Let us take them to the safe haven. You were in the maze, you know they don't deserve that."

A moment passed, and Clara stared Teresa down. Doctor to doctor. Scientist to scientist.

Finally, Teresa wavered and turned down a different hallway. "I hope you have a way to get them out,"

Clara refrained from glancing back at them. If they were lucky-- which they rarely were-- then Brenda, Jorge, and Frypan would be handling that. 

Teresa swiped a key card, and none of them protested as Thomas took it from her, shoving it into his pocket. Together they entered the room, sweeping it once. There was no one there. 

"Where are all the guards?" Leo asked, glancing around as they approached a center console. There was no sign of any security. Just a few massive vault doors and security cameras aimed towards them. 

Teresa shrugged, watching as they swept the room. "They were all ordered out to the wall. The people outside have been getting worse."

Clara clenched her jaw. Those were innocents they fired upon. People who needed help. She approached one of the vault doors and grabbed the circular handle, pulling it down with all her strength, until it finally began to roll. It moved smoothly as if it had recently been greased. Across the room, Gally was opening the other. 

The vault door slid aside. Clara could feel Leo approaching behind her. 

Inside the room, twenty young kids, who had to be between 6 and 13, stared at them from bunk beds. They all wore blue pants and shirts, emblazoned with the WICKED logo.

"Time to go, we are here to rescue you from WICKED," Clara shoved her helmet and face mask up, so they could see her face. She stepped into the room, scanning them. "Are any of you hurt?"

One of the youngest in the back began to cry as Leo stepped in as well, ushering them out. An older girl stepped in front of her, her lip quivering as well, but she stared Clara down, stern grey eyes boring into hers. 

Clara gave her a tiny smile and moved towards the back, silently counting the kids as they ran out to join the group that Newt and Thomas were organizing. 

"Come on," Clara crouched in front of the two girls. The older one had to be around twelve. "You'll be safe with us. WICKED will never have you again."

The older one shuffled slightly to the side, so the smaller one could look at Clara. She was tiny, with long golden hair ramrod straight against her head. 

"Are you brave?" Clara asked.

The girl paused, her head tilting. 

"I think you are braver than all the boys I came with. Can you be brave for us so we can get out of here?"

The girl nodded, and Clara flicked her gently on the chin, before giving her a gently nudge, sending her into the chaos. 

The older girl stared at her. Her eyes were sharp. "How do I know that you aren't just going to experiment on us as well?"

Clara paused. Behind her, she could hear the others urging the kids to move fast and organize. There might have been more kids in the other vaults. She reached absent-mindedly for the key around her neck. She started. It had been so long since she had needed the key as a comfort. Even though it's companion lock was long gone, sentenced to the doom of the Glade, she kept the key with her. 

"What's your name?"

The girl frowned, but answered. "Lia,"

"Well, Lia, I was one of you once," Quickly, Clara pulled the key off her neck and wrapped it around Lia's. "This is a reminder of when I was in the maze. You don't have to trust me, but believe me when I say, that we will do everything we can to get you out of here. Nobody else is going into the maze."

Lia paused, running a finger over the worn metal of the key. Clara could recall nights when she had laid in her hammock, all the Gladers asleep, rubbing the head of the key, as if it would truly save her.

Maybe it could save Lia too.

Lia met Clara's eyes and nodded once. 

Clara smiled at her, and stood, nudging her forwards. The girl ran forward and Clara followed, sweeping the area for extra kids. 

Once she was sure the room was empty, she returned to the main room. The kids had been organized into a neat group by Newt-- who was heaving and sweating.

"Clara,"

Clara turned to look at Gally, who had emerged from the other vault, holding a bag of familiar blue needles. Clara's good eye widened and she broke into a smile, jogging across the room.

"I never thought I'd see these again," She commented, taking the bag from Gally. Hopefully, there was enough in here to treat anyone who got sick with the Flare. 

"Is this room clear?" Thomas asked, approaching the main door, where Teresa still stood like a statue. 

At their confirming nods, Thomas shoved his helmet down and led the way out into the hallway. Clara followed suit, pulled her helmet down and followed the others out.

They made it to the end of the hallway, where it became a larger, more open room when Thomas turned to Teresa. 

"Take us to Minho and Tris, now."

Teresa opened her mouth to respond but got cut off as alarms began to blare. Red lights began to flash across the space. 

"Shit," Clara cursed. She scanned the others. They needed a plan. They couldn't take the kids with them to get the two they had come for-- not with the alarms sounding. She turned to Gally and Leo. "Gally, Leo, take the kids and meet Brenda. Get them out. We will go and get the others."

Clara slung the bag off of her shoulder and gestured to Lia, who stepped forward. Her hand was wrapped around the key. 

"I need you to take this, and keep them safe for me. They are going to help a lot of people,"

Lia gave her a firm nod, an air of responsibility on her young face. She took the bag and wrapped it across her chest, tightening the straps. 

Clara smiled-- though the girl couldn't see it-- and squeezed her shoulder. She was like Tris. Maybe she would make a good medic one day.

Leo paused, grabbing Clara's arm. "Clara, maybe you should go with the kids."

Clara frowned and shook him off. "No, I'm going to find Tris. She is coming with us."

Leo was quiet for a second. "Clara, if you find her, please don't get mad at her. It's not your fault."

Clara opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but Leo had already run off, following the kids and Gally to the emergency exit. 

Shaking off the strange chill that had settled over her, Clara gestured to Teresa. "Let's go,"

They took off, running down the halls. If Clara leaned over the balcony, she could see hundreds of soldiers beginning to swarm into the building. They were so close, and they had to get out of there.

Teresa led the way into a long medical wing. Scientists and doctors, dressed in lab coats and scrubs, ran back and forth, shoving stacks of paperwork into bags and wheeling supplies out. It was so chaotic that nobody noticed as they ran through with Teresa.

She came to a stop in front of a brightly lit interrogation room. Through the glass, Clara could see that Minho was facing away from them. There was a tray of medical supplies nearby, and it looked as though he were to be given a sedative. 

Thomas swiped the card and it swung open. Thomas led the way in, Clara following close behind. Newt stayed behind, keeping Teresa nearby.

Minho stayed still, looking off into the distance as if there were something none of them could see on the yellow wallpaper. 

"Minho?" Thomas shook his shoulder. With no response, he tried harder. "Minho?"

Clara moved around them, trying to get to the medical tray to see what he had been given, but stopped as Minho lunged upwards, attacking Thomas. He slammed him into the wall, screaming. 

"Minho!" Clara shouted. "Stop, it's us!"

She tugged off her helmet as Minho turned, distracting him long enough for Thomas to get his off and shove Minho back. 

There was a brief moment, where Minho scanned their faces wildly, panic high in his eyes. Clara's heart began to sink. Had they wiped his memory again?

Finally, he began to sob, breaking into a weak grin. "I thought I'd never see you fools again."

Clara let out a choking laugh as he and Thomas hugged, before stepping forward and hugging them both. She stepped back, shoving him through the door to hug Newt. 

There was a brief moment of relief in the chaos, the joy of finally finding someone. It was only a split second, but it was enough to give Clara a little bit of hope. If Minho was still alive-- surely Tris must be too. 

A shout sounded at the end of the hallway. Clara whipped her head towards it, in time to see Jansen and a few soldiers appear. 

"Shit," She spun around once, scanning the area. There were a few different turnoffs. "Thomas, Newt, take Minho and Teresa and get out of here. I'll go find Tris. We will be faster with just the two of us." 

Minho opened his mouth to protest but Clara fixed him with a glare. He swallowed whatever he was about to say.

"I saw her a few days ago get taken to the end of the hall. She never left."

Clara nodded her thanks, before giving him a shove. "Get out of here. Now. I'll meet you with the others."

Jansen distracted by Teresa, Clara slipped away down one of the hallways, holding her gun in one hand and her helmet in the other. A scientist ran past her, the alarm still blaring, holding what appeared to be several samples of blood. Clara's stomach rolled.

She turned down the last corner, to where Minho had directed her, and ran as fast as she could, her feet pounding in time with her heart.

Clara skidded to a stop in front of the last room in the hall. A massive window of glass looked into a small observation room. 

Clara could feel her body go cold. The way Leo had been acting, the things that he had said. It all started to come together. She could see flashes of Tris' face, her peculiar words back in the desert. Her insistence that they make it. 

Of every pair that was sent up in the box, only one was immune.

Clara stared through the observation glass at Tris, who was strapped to a table, thrashing.

Tris was a crank.

~~~

Hello lovelies!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please feel free to vote and comment, I love hearing from you all!

Until next time,

Indigo